Thill-coupling.



W'ILLIAMVGEPFORD, OF WEST SALEM, OHIO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,109, dated November28, 1899. Application flled September 23, 1899. Serial No. 731,952.A (Nomodel.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GEPFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Salem, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Thill- Coupling, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to thill-couplings, and has for its object toprovide a simple, durable, and efficient thill-coupling by means ofwhich a pair of shafts may be easily and quickly detached from a vehicleand a pole applied to the vehicle in lieu thereof, or vice versa- Y Itis also an object of the invention to provide a thill-coupling in whichthe thills may be quickly attached or detached without the use of awrench or other tool, the'parts being so combined and arranged that thedevice which retains the thills in place may be operated by hand.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear morefully in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a thill-coupling embodying certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the drawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of athill-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention, showingthe several parts of the thill-coupling in their normal positions. Fig.2 is a similar View of the axle member of the coupling with the latchthrown back and the thill detached. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective viewof the rear terminal portion of one of the thillirons, showing theattached coupling-pin. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the latch.Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the complete device, showing therelation of the thilliron to thevaxle member of the coupling and theretaining-latch. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on the line X X ofFig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The thill-coupling contemplated in this invention comprises a bodyportion 1, which is oblong in form and extends beneath the axle,(indicated at 2) the said body being provided with a pair of openings 3to receive an ordinary aXle-clip 4, passing over the axle and having itsterminal portions passed through the openings 3 and threaded to receivesecuring-nuts 5, by means of which the body 1 is fastened rigidly to theaxle.

Extending forward from the body 1 is a thill-eye 6 in the form of an earhaving a transverse opening 7 for the reception of the coupling pin orpintle on the thill-iron. The thill-iron 8 is provided with a couplingpin or pintle 9, which is connected fiXedly to and carried by thethill-iron and of a length approximately equal to the thickness of theeye or ear 6. A recess l0 is formed at one side of the eye 6, saidrecess having a concaved rear wall or abutment 11, against which theround extremity 12 of the thill-iron may bear when the latter isinserted therein and the pintle 9 passed through the opening?. The body1 is also cut away to leave a shoulder 13 flush with the side face ofthe thill-iron S, and in the recess formed by the cutting away of thebody l there is mounted a retaining-latch 14, the same being securedpivotally in place by means of a pin orbolt 15, passing through the body1 in rear of the eye 6 and also through the latch 14 at a point betweenthe ends of the latter. The inner end of the latch 14 is reduced to forma rigid tongue 1G,which when the latch is in its operative positionengages in a recess 17, formed in the body l, and coperates with ashoulder 18 for the purpose of limiting the downward movement of theouter or heavier end of the latch. The outer or free end of the latch isconsiderably enlarged, as shownV at 19, and practically covers theenlarged rear end of the thilliron 8 when the parts are in theiroperative position. The latch is also cutaway to form a concaved recess20, which when the latch is thrown upward and backward alines with theconcaved abutment 11 above referred lo, thereby enabling the thill-ironto be placed in position or removed therefrom. `The meeting faces of thethill-iron S and the latch 14 are also correspondingly beveled orinclined, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when the free end of the latch ismoved downward it operates with a cam or wedging action against thethill-iron, forcing the latter in the direction of the eye G'and keepingthe pintle 9 firmly seated in ICO the opening 7 of the eye 6. As theforward or free end of the latch is of considerably greater weight thanits rear end, it always Works downward alongside of the thill-iron 8 andcrowds the latter laterally against the eye or ear 6. A constantpressure and engagement is thus maintained between the thill-iron andthev retaining-latch, and this serves to prevent any rattling of theparts of the thill-coupling.

When considerable wear takes place in the coupling, a washer of metal,leather, or other suitable material may be inserted between thethill-iron and the ear or eye 6 in order to compensate for such wear.

The operation of the device is as follows: The free end of the latch 14Eis thrown upward and rearward, as shown at Fig. 2, and the thill-iron isassociated with the coupling in such manner that the pin or pintlel 9will pass through the opening 7 in the ear 6. The latch is then throwndownward or allowed to fall by gravity until it moves into engagementwith the thill-iron, thus securely retaining the latter in position. Inorder to detach the thill, the operation just described is reversed.

The thill-coupling hereinabove described combines simplicity anddurability, is economical in construction, and will be found efficientand reliable in practice.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

l. In a thill-coupling, the combination with an axle clip or memberhaving an eye, of a thill-iron having a rigid pintle projectinglaterally from one side thereof and insertible through said eye, andalatch pivotally mounted on the axle member, and adapted to closedownward behind and against the opposite side of the thill-iron, andhold the latter in place, substantially as described.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination with an axle member having aneye and a recess at one side of the eye terminating in a concavedabutment,of a thill-iron having a rounded extremity corresponding to theshape of said abutment, and provided withalaterallyprojectingrigidly-attached pintle insertible through said eye, and a latchpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the axle member, and havingan enlarged free end adapted to close downward behind the thill-iron forholding the latter in place, and also provided in rear of its pivot witha shoulder coperating with another shoulder on the axle member,substantially as described.

3. In a thill-coupling, an axle member having an eye and a recess at oneside thereof terminating in a concaved abutment, in conibination with athill-iron fitting said recess and provided with a rigid lateral pintleinsertible through the eye, and a latch pivotally mounted on the axlemember,and adapted to close down behind the thill-iron for holding thelatter in place, the coperating faces of the thill-iron and latch beingbeveled to pro duce a wedging action, and the latch being cut away toform a concaved recess which alines with the concaved abutment of theaxle member when the latch is thrown back on its pivot, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GEPFORD.

Witnesses:

JOHN KEELER, F. M. SMITH.

